The present invention relates generally to a door structure for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle door structural hardware module.
It is customary in the design and manufacture of vehicles to incorporate many parts into subassemblies to increase manufacturability. These subassemblies, commonly called modules, include a number of interrelated parts that can be assembled quickly and easily and then subsequently incorporated into the final assembly of a vehicle. Many of the modules concern structural portions of the vehicle and it is important in the design of these structural modules to provide the requisite structural stiffness and integrity while simultaneously ensuring the benefits of a modular design.
One such structural module is a structural module within a vehicle door. Door modules include wiring harnesses, an inside handle and latch system, a window regulator mechanism as well as other components. Functional and reliability tests are performed on the module and its components prior to installation into a door frame to facilitate testing and trouble shooting. Once testing is complete, the module is loaded into a doorframe from the inboard side.
Typically, the hardware module for a vehicle door system is manufactured of steel formed in a steel stamping process. In a steel stamping process, rolled steel stock is cut to the appropriate size based on the finished panel size desired and then processed through a number of tool dies. When the process is complete, the various hardware components are hung on the door panel forming a door module. Thus, the door module comprises the door panel along with the various hardware components. The door module is then installed in the vehicle door.
Water management features are required to ensure that the interior passenger side of the door is kept dry. Typically, a plastic sheet is placed over the holes in the interior side of the module. This sheet can be difficult to install and its reliability as a water barrier is low. The hardware module is attached to the interior portion of the vehicle door by the use of a suitable fastening means such as bolts before the sheet is installed.
It is therefore desirable to provide a hardware module that is lower in production costs as compared to a module fabricated by conventional steel stampings while maintaining the functional strength and performance of the panel and increased ease of manufacturability.
Advantageously, the present invention provides for a vehicle door panel that is manufactured using a roll forming process. The roll formed panel has an exterior side and an interior side including a number of longitudinal protrusions formed during the roll forming process. The predetermined numbers of protrusions extend outward from the interior side and receive door hardware components that are installed and assembled onto the roll formed panel to make the door module. The door module is then attached to the vehicle door.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a significant manufacturing cost savings and increased ease of manufacturability achieved through the reduction of post-processing operations. Manufacturing time to produce the roll formed panel is also much less than that of a stamped panel that is a multi-step process. The roll formed panel also carries the hardware components associated with a vehicle door while simultaneously providing for a sealing bead thus permitting the panel to act as a water vapor barrier thereby protecting the interior passenger compartment. Therefore, a roll formed panel produces the lowest cost possible for a panel formed from a steel plate while providing increased door structure by increasing the frontal load carrying capacity of the door and incorporating a wet dry water management system integral with the panel.